The Hunter and the Hunted
by terra hotaru
Summary: The essence of the being, the excitement and terror. A story about a man who set out to slay a dangerous, unidentified being. Was he the Hunter? Or was he the Hunted? AkuRoku.


**The Hunter and the Hunted**

He was on a quest—a quest to pursue a being that didn't belong to his world. The other-worldly being that must be vanquished before it started posing harm to the people of his world. He must hunt him down, no matter what. That was his job… as the Vanquisher.

He hastened, jumping through roofs to roofs, never once slipping in his speed. His acid jade eyes scanned around the area, careful and wary, never once letting his guard down. In the silence of the night…there was nothing. The inhabitants of the town had returned to their residencies, in peaceful slumbers. He didn't make a single noise. He was flying through the night, akin to a ghost. His presence was unknown, his breathings were unheard, and his steps were non-existent. However, no matter how long he had been in pursuit, he couldn't find his goal. It was nowhere in sight.

There had been sightings of murderous being around the area. However, he couldn't confirm if the sightings were merely hoax. He had been guarding the area for several days, but he couldn't spot it, the unidentified being that was supposedly lingering around. But he couldn't sense it.

The alleyways of the town were dark, muddy, and rotten. The street lights weren't enough to purify that darkness. The alleyways smelled of garbage and the lingering essence of rain. The rain cleansed that acidity of the rotten scent, but not perfectly. The horrible stench assaulted his nose without end.

Suddenly, he paused in his track, slowly stepping forward to the edge of the sky-high building. He looked down from a top. The sight of the town wasn't one to behold. It was dirty and murky, a desolated town that no one should visit or live in. It was a town that should be decontaminated and cleaned from the map—from existence. The inhabitants were spiritless. It was as if they were dead to begin with—in the town that was devastated with diseases.

Axel couldn't help but offer pity and disgust. If he could do something about it, he would have purified the town with the beauty of his flames. However, there was no doubt that authorities would eliminate him if he were to act on his own. The members of the 'Executioners' had no self-control—they were the ones being controlled. And their actions were not of their decision. They had to fulfill and complete their missions or else they would be turned into one of those lowly beings—one of those lowly slaves whose job were to do the filthy biddings of the higher-ups.

And his eyes grew wide as he took down his hoodie. There… in the forbidding shades of the dark silhouette, he saw it… his target. The one with cerulean eyes that glowed sinisterly in the corner of one of the alleyways. So, the sightings were true. That was it. His mission.

Without any breath of hesitation, Axel jumped down from where he was; freefalling down. The winds blew violently against his flesh. The chilling air of the night haunted his very being. Shivers of excitement running down his spines. He was nearing it. He drew out his pistol, making sure that it was loaded with eight bullets.

Three. Two. One.

_Bang!_

The resounding voice of the revolver echoed in the hollow alleyway. It vanished. The dark being…

No.

It was behind him!

He quickly spun around, aiming his pistol against the being with cerulean eyes. It smirked, lips drew wide to a bone-chilling grin. It raised its hand, ready to rip him apart. He quickly reacted and escaped his own daze, spinning to the side and pulling the trigger.

_Shoot!_

The bullet went through, creating a hole in it. It paused.

There was a single second of silence. No. Axel didn't think that he was successful. It couldn't be that easy. The hunted had been in pursuit for so long. Just a single bullet wouldn't stop it.

Another ghostly smirk and another assault. It didn't take Axel any delay to dodge. However, he was a second too late as the clothes in his shoulder were torn apart by the sharpness of its nail. A rush of terror and thrill pierced into his bones. He pulled the trigger again, creating another gap in the being's core.

The being that resembled a human…

The being in front of him that suddenly took the form of…

Someone very familiar…

Those cerulean eyes suddenly didn't seem as unfamiliar anymore… that form, that shape… those golden locks that forever haunted him in his sleep.

The being…

A cheap illusion.

Without hesitating, he pulled the trigger yet again.

Putting an opening into the being's forehead. Blood burst out, splotching his cheek and his left eye. The being… that bore a resemblance to someone very dear to him.

It let out a deafening shriek.

And then, it disappeared from Axel's sight.

He swallowed.

"_Roxas…"_

--


End file.
